Here Is One Thing You Should Never Do If You Want To Capture Everyone's Attention

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has banned PowerPoint in executive meetings since 2004. And with good reason. Around that time, the data visualization pioneer Edward Tufte warned his readers about PowerPoint. “Power corrupts,” he said. “PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.” Maybe humans just can’t be trusted under the influence of Microsoft’s presentation design program.

But what Bezos does instead might actually offer us a clue about how to enjoy PowerPoint responsibly. He opts for a half-hour reading of a narrative memo.

Narrative is a powerful tool for leaders because it helps the audience think with you. It activates their imagination. Data-heavy PowerPoints do the opposite. The audience thinks the numbers have answered their questions, so their curiosity shuts off.

There is a place for PowerPoint, such as adding visual context to your story. But there is one thing you should always leave out.

The most important visual should not appear in a PowerPoint deck at all. Or, as I tell my clients, “save the best for never.”

Instead of including it in the deck, draw the most important visual in front of your audience. Use a flipchart like Simon Sinek did when he drew his golden circle at one of the most popular TED talks of all time. Or, if you’re presenting your idea with a small group, draw it on a piece of paper or even a napkin.

I have observed the following scene unfold over and over again. When someone picks up a pen or marker to draw something, others pay attention. What will the person draw? The natural reflex is to track and follow how the picture will turn out. “If you get your visual on the whiteboard, it dominates the meeting,” cognitive psychologist Steve Franconeri told me when I interviewed him for my bookLet the Story Do the Work.